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In this reflective essay, I share lessons learned when COVID-19 necessitated immediate changes to service-learning during the spring 2020 semester. The pandemic created an environment that heightened awareness about meeting underrepresented students' needs and the benefits of solidarity and reciprocity when collaborating with community partners. As the pandemic unfolded, my focus shifted from honoring commitments to community partners and course learning objectives to recognizing that the complex realities of students' lives made being responsive to their needs paramount. One nontraditional student serves as a case study; her story underscores the deep ways the pandemic affected a student's personal and professional life. I close the article with four generalizable lessons learned that faculty can employ in support of students' success in service-learning: exercising solidarity, reciprocity, and flexibility; providing guidance in project selection; serving as model learner; and embedding support for parenting and caregiving students.

Although induction support is heralded as an effective way to reduce high attrition among beginning teachers, nationwide increases in induction participation have not been accompanied by a comparable reduction in attrition rates. This inconsistency suggests some induction programs may not provide adequate support. This article presents the results of a case study that explored the experiences of a beginning teacher who left the profession despite participation in an induction program. The research question was: "Why was Stella unsuccessful in her second year of teaching?" The results are presented through the postmodern ethnographic method of layered account (Ronai, 1997). In addition to raising questions about how to effectively support new teachers, this article includes a discussion of methodological limitations, ethics, subjectivity, and researcher response to participant distress.

This article reports the results of a case study about elementary school teachers' induction experiences. Four teachers began the three-year study, but only two remained in the profession after their second year. This development was consistent with estimates that 40-50% of novices leave the profession within five years. Bandura's (1977) construct of self-efficacy beliefs was used as a lens to examine how personal characteristics and professional experiences either contributed to new elementary teachers' success, increased sense of self-efficacy, and desire to remain in the profession, or contributed to their desire to leave teaching.

This study investigated how middle school students' comprehension was impacted by reading social studies texts online with a pop-up dictionary function for every word in the text. A quantitative counterbalance design was used to determine how 129 middle school students' reading comprehension test scores for the pop-up dictionary reading differed from test scores for reading hard-copy texts or an online text without the dictionary. The pop-up dictionary reading was shown to be a statistically effective method for improving student test scores. The results suggest pop-up dictionaries may provide a helpful intervention for increasing middle-level learners' reading comprehension. (Contains 2 tables.)

Novice teachers often struggle during the transition from being students of teaching to teachers of students. Consequently, high attrition rates characterize the first 3 years of teaching, underscoring a need to provide better support for beginning teachers. This investigation sought to answer the following question: How are 1st-year teachers supported during induction and how do they respond to this support? Four 1st-year elementary teachers participated in a year-long case-study investigation. Primary form of data collection was monthly semi-structured phone interviews. Participants faced similar challenges, while adjusting to their new profession, but received varied, often inadequate, forms of support during their 1st year. The results suggest that rather than identifying the prevalence of induction support, future research should endeavor to assess program quality and guide educators in the provision of valuable induction for new teachers. (Contains 1 table.)

This qualitative study evaluated the Technology Supported Induction Network's (TSIN) effect on 15 elementary education student teachers in isolated rural schools. The student teachers were 50-300 miles away from their university; thus, it was difficult for faculty to provide support and supervision. The TSIN provided student teachers with professional development opportunities and virtual connections to their peers and university through distance technology, including an online discussion board and compressed video. Findings indicate that the TSIN supported reflective practice, curricular and emotional support, and connections to peers, but not connections to the university. TSIN participants also developed their technology skills and confidence. The strengths and limitations of using distance technology to support student teachers are discussed along with recommendations for improving the TSIN design.

Student teaching is a challenging period for preservice teachers as they make the transition from preparation to practice. Support from mentor teachers and university personnel can make this time easier, helping preservice teachers successfully integrate educational theory into their practice. Because of logistical, financial, and personnel limitations, many student teachers with rural placements receive inadequate support. The Technology Supported Induction Network (TSIN) was developed to address these issues by providing support and ongoing professional learning opportunities for preservice teachers through distance technology. A qualitative case study was used to investigate the TSIN's impact on elementary level student teachers. Results indicate that the TSIN's two primary components, a discussion board and compressed video sessions, served different supportive roles. Recommendations for future programs utilizing technology as a way to enhance the preparation of student teachers or provide induction for inservice teachers in rural schools are also discussed.

The challenges novice teachers face as they adjust to inservice teaching are well documented. However, relatively little attention has been given to beginning teachers in rural schools who have had previous careers in other professions. We used qualitative methods to examine the professional experiences and perceptions of four career-changing first-year teachers in rural schools, seeking to identify significant issues in their professional developmental processes. Three primary themes emerged: evidence of effectiveness as teachers; mentoring career changers, and; adjustment to rural school and community. We conclude with implications and recommendations for educators working to support this unique population of educators in preservice preparation programs and rural school districts. (Contains 1 footnote.)

The authors examined how the regular use of Monte Carlo Quizzes, learning logs, or non-random quizzes impacted student completion of assigned reading and preparedness for class. A questionnaire was used to gather data on student perceptions and self-reported reading behavior in response to each of the methods over the course of a semester. Results suggested that students in classes that used the learning log method were more motivated to complete readings, felt better able to contribute to class discussions, and were more likely to recommend the assessment method than students in classes that used the other methods. (Contains 1 table.)